Hirono Announces Over $14 Million Investment in Public Health Infrastructure in Hawaii
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Mazie K. Hirono (D-HI) announced that the Hawaii State Department of Health will receive $14.4 million in federal funding to improve critical public health infrastructure throughout the state as part of the newly developed Public Health Infrastructure Grant Program. The grant program—which is supported in part by the American Rescue Plan—provides awards directly to state, local, and territorial health departments to support investments in public health workforce, infrastructure, and data modernization.
“When the COVID-19 pandemic hit, our families, communities, and health care workers in Hawaii felt the devastating consequences of a historically underfunded, understaffed, and under resourced public health system,” said Senator Hirono. “Democrats in Congress passed the American Rescue Plan to not only help our communities respond to and recover from COVID-19, but to strengthen our nation’s public health infrastructure and better protect the populations they serve. These critical investments will help keep our communities safer now and ensure Hawaii is better prepared for future health crises.”
“The COVID-19 pandemic cast a spotlight on the importance of public health—a system that is chronically underfunded and resource constrained,” said Cathy Ross, Deputy Director of the Hawaii State Department of Health. “This new federal funding will help the Department build stronger, more resilient public health infrastructure in Hawaii through investments in workforce, technology, core systems, and health equity. These investments will support healthier communities across the state.”
Over the last decade, state and local public health programs have lost 20 percent of their workforce capacity. These programs are essential for preventing chronic diseases and protecting the nation from current and emerging public health threats.
The grant—administered by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)—is the first of its kind, and provides flexible investment so jurisdictions can address their most pressing needs to support their unique public health infrastructure. This funding will help address the historic underinvestment in communities that are economically or socially marginalized, rural communities, and communities comprised of high-risk and underserved populations. In total, the CDC will award $3.2 billion to 107 public health departments throughout the country, $3 billion of which came from the American Rescue Plan.
Specifically, the grant program supports investments in:
- Workforce: To recruit, retain, support, and train the public health workforce;
- Foundational capabilities: To strengthen systems, processes, and policies;
- Data modernization: To deploy scalable, flexible, and sustainable technologies.
Senator Hirono has long worked to ensure Hawaii’s communities can access the health care they need. In 2020, she helped Community Health Centers across the state secure federal funding during the pandemic, and also helped secure CARES Act funding for the UH Systems to develop workforce training programs in the health care industry. Last month, during a Senate Judiciary Subcommittee hearing, Senator Hirono emphasized the need to address the strain caused by the shortage of health care workers in Hawaii and across the country.
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